en yet thou savorest very
strongly of the kitchen, and the savor thereof spoileth the fair savor
of the morning."

So spake Lynette, and thereupon Sir Gareth drew rein a little farther,
and so followed after her some distance away as he had done the day
before.

[Sidenote: _Lynette telleth Sir Gareth of the robber knights._]

After that they went a considerable ways in silence, and then by and by
Lynette turned her head toward Sir Gareth and spake, saying: "Sirrah,
knowest thou whither this path upon which we travel will lead us?" And
Sir Gareth said, "Nay, Lady, I know not." "Alas for thee," quoth
Lynette, "for I am to tell thee that this path leadeth toward a certain
ford of a river, which same ford is guarded by two strong and powerful
knights who are brothers. Of these two knights I heard yesternight at
the priory that they are very savage robbers, and that, of those who
would pass the ford of the river, some they slay and others they rob or
else make captive for the sake of ransom. Now I am making my way toward
that place where are these two knights in the belief that they may rid
me of thee. So be thou advised whilst there is yet time; withdraw thee
from this adventure and return whither thou hast come, or else, mayhap,
a very great deal of harm may befall thee."

"Lady," quoth Sir Gareth, "were there twenty knights instead of two at
that ford and were each of those twenty ten times as strong as either of
the two are likely to be, yet would I follow after thee to the end of
this adventure. Mayhap it may be my good fortune to rid the world of
these two evil knights."

Then Lynette lifted up her eyes toward Heaven. "Alas," quoth she, "I see
that never will I be rid of this kitchen knave until all the pride is
beaten out of his body." And after that they rode their way without
saying anything more at that time.

Anon, and when the sun had risen pretty high toward the middle of the
morning, they came out of the forest and into a fair open plain of
considerable extent. Here Sir Gareth perceived that there was a smooth
wide river that flowed down through the midst of the plain. And he
perceived that the road ran toward the river and crossed it by a
shallow gravelly ford. And he perceived that upon the other side of the
river was a tall, grim, and very forbidding castle that stood on high
and overlooked the ford, and so he wist that this must be the ford
guarded by those two knights of whom Lynette had spoken.